EPA certification number
The EPA certification number identifies a wood heater’s certificate of compliance with the NSPS emission limits. It appears on the stove’s permanent label and in the EPA Certified Wood Heater Database, and it covers a specific list of model numbers tested as one design.
One certification often covers several model numbers — the same firebox sold under different trims or brand names. The database record lists them all, plus the test method, test fuel, and the certified emission and efficiency figures.
Installers, insurers, and some jurisdictions check the label: an installed heater without an EPA certification label may be uninsurable or ineligible for permits in areas that require certified appliances, and change-out incentive programs verify against this database.
| Typical format | A serial-and-year code such as 409-26 or 260-20 |
|---|---|
| Class prefixes | HH marks hydronic heaters (59HH-26); FAF marks forced-air furnaces (11FAF-17) |
| Amended certificates | A trailing “a” — 110-17a — marks an amendment to an existing certificate |
| Validity | Five years, then renewal is required |
| Where it appears | Permanent metal label on the appliance, and in the EPA Certified Wood Heater Database |
| Database size | 459 records; 198 currently certified |
Reading the number
The codes are short and readable once you know the pattern. The digits before the dash are the certificate serial; the two after it are the year of issue. So 260-20 is a certificate issued in 2020 and 409-26 one issued in 2026. Room heaters carry a bare number; hydronic heaters carry an HH before the dash, as in 59HH-26, and forced-air furnaces carry FAF, as in 11FAF-17.
A trailing letter marks an amendment. 110-17a is the amended version of certificate 110-17 — usually because a model number was added, a component changed, or an administrative correction was made. Both forms appear in the database, and it is normal to see a family of models split across a base certificate and its amendment.
The year is useful information on its own, because certificates run five years and then need renewal. A certificate issued in 2020 is due, and a model that has moved from “currently certified” to “previously certified” usually means the manufacturer discontinued it and did not renew — not that anything was found wrong with the appliance. That distinction matters when you are looking at a used stove.
The permanent label, and what a missing one means
Every certified heater carries a permanent metal label, typically riveted to the back panel, inside the ash pan cavity, or on the pedestal. It names the manufacturer and model, gives a serial number and date of manufacture, states compliance with the applicable NSPS standard, and — on appliances certified under the 2015 rule and later — carries the certified emission rate, efficiency, and heat output range. It is the field copy of the database record.
It is also what a permit office, an installer, and an insurer will look for. A stove with no label is treated as unlisted and uncertified: expect a permit refusal in any jurisdiction that requires certified appliances, difficulty getting an installer to connect it, and a policy question after any claim. Some air districts additionally prohibit installing or reselling an uncertified stove regardless of its condition.
For a used stove, check the label against the database before money changes hands. Confirm that the model number on the plate appears on a real certificate, and note whether that certificate is current. If the plate has been removed or painted over, treat the appliance as uncertified — there is no way to establish its emission performance after the fact.
Rebadges, covered models, and what the certificate does not cover
One certificate frequently covers several model numbers, because the same tested firebox is sold in different trims, cabinet styles, leg or pedestal options, or under a retailer’s house brand. The record lists every model number the certificate covers, which is the reliable way to work out that two differently named stoves are the same appliance underneath — and to spot when a dealer’s model designation appears on no certificate at all.
Where it does not appear, it is not certified, whatever the brochure says. Colour, door style, and a blower kit do not change a certification, but a different firebox does, and manufacturers occasionally market a variant ahead of its listing. The database is the authority; the sales literature is not.
One further distinction is worth being explicit about: EPA certification is an emissions certification only. It says nothing about fire safety. That comes from a separate safety listing — UL 1482 for solid-fuel room heaters, UL 127 for factory-built fireplaces, UL 103 HT for chimney — and it is the safety listing, not the EPA certificate, that establishes the clearances and hearth requirements in the manual. Most permits require both, and an appliance with one and not the other is a problem.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the EPA label on a wood stove?
On a permanent metal plate, usually riveted to the back of the stove, inside the ash pan cavity, or on the pedestal or leg. It carries the manufacturer, model, serial number, date of manufacture, and a compliance statement; appliances certified under the 2015 rule and later also show the certified emission rate, efficiency, and heat output range.
How do I look up a wood stove in the EPA database?
Search by manufacturer and model number in EPA’s Certified Wood Heater Database, or find the model on this site — every StoveAtlas model page links back to its source EPA record. If a model number does not appear on any certificate’s covered-model list, the appliance is not certified under that name, regardless of what the literature claims.
What does “previously certified” mean?
That the certificate is no longer current, almost always because the model was discontinued and the manufacturer did not renew — certificates run five years. It is not a finding against the appliance, and it does not make an installed stove illegal to use. It does mean the model cannot be sold new, and previously certified models are excluded from the rankings on this site.
Is an EPA certified stove also UL listed?
Not automatically — they are separate things. EPA certification covers particulate emissions under the NSPS. Fire safety comes from a listing to UL 1482 for solid-fuel room heaters (UL 127 for factory-built fireplaces, UL 103 HT for chimney), and it is that listing which establishes the tested clearances and hearth requirements in the manual. Nearly all mainstream stoves carry both, and most permits require both.
Can I install a stove with no EPA label?
Usually not, and you should not want to. Permit offices in jurisdictions that require certified appliances will refuse it, many installers will not connect it, and insurers ask about it after a claim. Some air districts also prohibit installing or reselling uncertified stoves outright. If the plate is missing or painted over, the appliance has to be treated as uncertified.